Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia announced to provide stalls at a very discounted rate to artists and artisans at all the campuses of the tourism department including Delhi Haat.
The announcement came in a meeting chaired by Deputy CM with the Board of Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) at the Delhi Secretariat.
Sisodia said, “Due to the Corona epidemic and lockdown, artists and artisans who cannot buy expensive stalls at Delhi Haat and other places will be provided stalls at a very economical rate.”
He said that a person had to spend thousands to take a stall on usual day but now these will be available for only 500 to 600 rupees.
It has also been decided to give huge concessions to vendors who have food stalls inside Delhi Haat and other places. It has been decided to waive off the rent for these vendors for the entire duration of the lockdown. In many cases, it has also been decided to give considerable concession in the normal fare till October 31," he said.
Sisodia said, “At present, the economic situation is facing a huge challenge due to the Pandemic all over the Globe and the markets especially the tourism and hospitality industry are badly affected. DTTDC is of the view this at this point, it is necessary to retain those vendors/operators who have been associated with DTTDC for a long time by giving relation to them".
This will not only enable these operators to consolidate their business activity in the given time but also for DTTDC in getting regular revenue for a longer period, he added.
Due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19, all the properties leased by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation had to be closed from March 20. Later, each institution was allowed to reopen at different stages of unlocking. These include all Delhi Haats (INA, Pitampura, and Janakpuri), Garden of Five Senses, Nature Bazaar, etc. Among them, many entrepreneurs requested a concession under Force Major in the light of the epidemic and today the committee has given its nod to provide those concessions.
In Delhi Haat INA, 166 craft stalls were allotted to the artisans across the country. It was also decided to distribute the remaining stalls among the local craftsmen on a first-come, first-served basis. Food stall vendors of Delhi Haat INA have been given considerable relief in paying their rent. Concessions are also provided to the car parking vendor of Delhi Haat INA as the backside parking space is not currently being used.
Sisodia expressed his hope that these concessions will provide the much-needed relief to the people associated with the tourism development of Delhi and with their help, the tourism activities in Delhi will soon be back on track.